HARDY Venetians took to the flood waters in the city to have a swim after heavy rain and seas whipped up by strong winds brought the lagoon city's high tide mark to its sixth-highest level in 150 years.

Italian news reports said the same weather system that put 70 per cent of central Venice under water yesterday was wreaking havoc elsewhere in northern and central Italy, with some 200 people evacuated from their homes in hard-hit Tuscany.

Flooding is common in Venice this time of year and yesterday's high tide mark of 59.06in (150cm) marked the sixth-highest level since 1872, according to the Ansa news agency.

Moveable barriers which would rise from the seabed to protect Venice from high tides have been in the pipeline for years but will not be operational before 2014.